1. Context and Rationale
India is home to 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), each with distinct cultural and ecological relationships to their habitats. The Forest Rights Act (FRA) holds out the promise of securing these communities’ rights through the recognition of habitat rights under Section 3(1)(e). Yet, nearly two decades since the law’s enactment, this remains one of its least implemented provisions. Implementation has been slow and uneven, hindered by lack of clarity in procedures, weak institutional support, and competing pressures of conservation and development. In many cases, habitat areas are threatened by diversion of forest land, extractive industries, and notification as protected areas, undermining the very communities FRA seeks to empower.
If meaningfully implemented, habitat rights could become a powerful tool for both justice and conservation: securing rights recognition for PVTGs while enabling Gram Sabhas and community federations to protect culturally significant and biodiversity-rich landscapes. Despite the slow pace of implementation, there are encouraging examples to learn from. In Odisha, some initial steps have been taken where Vasundhara has supported eight PVTG groups in claiming ten habitat right titles. Chhattisgarh stands out for recognising such rights for the Baiga and Kamar communities, while in Madhya Pradesh, NGOs have played a key role in helping communities file claims, albeit with limited progress.
Against this backdrop, the session will bring together practitioners, community leaders, legal experts, and researchers to review ongoing initiatives, share grounded experiences, identify gaps, and chart a way forward for advocacy and collective action.
2. Objectives
To demystify the concept and scope of habitat rights under FRA.
To share experiences of habitat rights claims and recognition from Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.
To highlight the challenges and gaps in implementation across states.
To discuss threats to habitat areas and implications for PVTG livelihoods, culture, and conservation.
To identify opportunities for collective initiatives, advocacy, and engagement with governments to strengthen habitat rights recognition.
About the session speakers
Mr Sushant Kumar Dalai
Program Officer, Vasundhara
Panelist
NA
Dr Premananda Panda
Vice President, Vasundhara
Panelist
Dr. Premananda Panda is a distinguished academic and development professional with extensive experience in research, training, and policy advocacy. He has served in several key academic and advisory capacities, including as Professor and former Director at the School of Management, Utkal University, Odisha. His expertise spans human development, social anthropology, governance, and tribal studies.Dr. Panda has been actively associated with various institutions and committees, such as the National Council of Analytical Tribal Studies (COATS), Indian Society for Training and Development (ISTD), and the Centre for Migration Study under RDI Bhubaneswar. He has successfully guided 15 Ph.D. scholars, authored or edited over a dozen books, and published more than 70 papers in national and international journals.He has also contributed significantly to training and research initiatives, including organizing Advanced Research Methodology courses under ICSSR. Recognized with lifetime achievement awards from three universities-Central University, Sagar University (MP), and KISS (Odisha)-Dr. Panda continues to play an influential role in advancing academic scholarship and human development initiatives in India.
Mr Naresh Kumar Vishvas
NIRMAN
Panelist
Since 1986, Naresh Biswas has been actively engaged in social awareness, community organization, and tribal development across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. For over two decades, he has been continuously working with the Baiga community, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), in Dindori district.
In 2002, when Baiga families from six villages were brutally evicted from forest land by forest officials and Special Armed Forces, Naresh took the issue to the High Court and mobilized the community to form the Baiga Maha Panchayat. The same year, he successfully advocated for the inclusion of Primitive Tribal Groups under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) following the Supreme Court’s directive on the Right to Food.
He has served as a member of the Expert Committee on Habitat Rights for PVTGs under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, and as a member of the Committee on the Development of Special Primitive Tribal Groups in Chhattisgarh.
Recognizing his long-standing grassroots work, The Week magazine named him “Man of the Year” in 2015. His initiatives on millet-based indigenous seed conservation have gained national recognition, with Baiga women from his group receiving the National Genome Award.
Under his leadership, the first-ever Habitat Rights certificate under Section 3(1)(e) of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, was granted to the Baigas of Baigachak in Dindori district, followed by similar recognition for the Bharias of Patalkot, the Baigas of Mandla, and the Kamar and Baiga communities of Chhattisgarh.
Mr Chandra Pratap Singh
Program Manager, Nav Nirman Chetna Manch
Panelist
Chandra Pratap Singh has been working in Chhattisgarh since 2008, focusing on livelihood promotion, and advocating for water,implementing the Forest Rights Act 2006 in Gaurela Pendra Marwahi district. He supports Gram Sabhas, Forest Rights Committees, and the Baiga tribe in securing individual and community forest rights, including habitat rights. Currently, as Program Manager at Nav Nirman Chetna Manch, he oversees program monitoring, evaluation, and documentation with a focus on women's empowerment and rural development.
Mr Aurobindo Rout
Program Director, Vasundhara
Moderator
Aurobindo Rout is a dedicated professional with over 19 years of experience in advocacy, policy implementation, and capacity building in the domain of forest rights and natural resource management. With a strong foundation in philosophy and a passion for empowering marginalized communities, he has played pivotal roles in implementing the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, leading initiatives like the Mo Jungle Jami Yojana (MJJY), and facilitating habitat and community forest rights for tribal populations. Currently serving as the Team Leader for the Tenure and Tenurial Security Team and Treasurer in Vasundhara, Aurobindo has excelled in designing training programs, conducting research, and fostering collaborations between government bodies, civil societies, and local communities. His expertise includes advocacy for land rights, and strengthening community forestry groups. Aurobindo is also a regular columnist in prominent dailies, writing on the rights of forest-dwelling communities, and has authored the book Vidya Hin Bimukti, which illuminates various aspects of human life. An articulate communicator and published author, he combines analytical thinking, team leadership, and a deep commitment to social justice to drive sustainable development and inclusivity.